Salt is an essential culinary ingredient and is widely used in almost all recipes and every kitchen keeps it on hand. Finishing salt is more of a gourmet salt, and as the name implies it is meant to be used as the final touch on your prepared dishes. However, finishing salt is different from table salts.
There are several varieties of finishing salts you use once in your dishes, you won’t resist using them again and cooking without them. Read on to learn a little more about finishing salts.
What Is Finishing Salt?
Finishing salts are all-natural and unrefined. They have flat, rough, or spiky crystals that are unexpected and sometimes flaky in a very delicious way. It allows the cook to enhance the flavor of a dish and provide a burst of flavor. The suitable finishing salt can complement the flavor and add an exotic taste to your food.
Types Of Finishing Salt
Finishing salts are used to make ordinary food extraordinary. It is purely made up of sodium chloride while other salts contain trace amount of minerals which slightly alter their color and flavor. It is necessary to pick the specific salt that complements the dish and enhances its flavor. There are varieties of gourmet finishing salts based on their shape, texture, and origin. Many people want to know the secret of the world’s top chefs that which salt they use in their dishes.
The most used and popular finishing salts are given below.
1. Pink Himalayan Salt
Pink Himalayan salt contains a high trace of mineral content. The remnants of the original primordial sea give it a lovely pink color. It has a milder and slightly sweeter taste than other salts. The beautiful pink crystals enhance the presentation with a subtle salty flavor. It is used widely as a finishing salt for desserts, fruits, salads, steaks, soups, and dips. Himalayan salt complements the steaks that give a tasty crunch with every bite as you eat. It is available in different grain sizes and is usually sold as a large flake which you can grate over steaks or grilled fish.
2. Maldon Salt
Maldon salt is a widely available finishing salt, it comes from the Blackwater estuary, situated in the English town of Maldon, therefore known as Maldon salt. The delicate flavor and unique hollow-pyramid-shaped crystals are obtained by boiling seawater. The clean and fresh flavor adds an earthy feel and exotic taste to the dishes.
3. Sel Gris
Sel Gris is hand harvested on the France Atlantic coast, it is an unrefined grey flaky salt available in various sizes of grains. The salt gains its grey color and briny flavor from minerals in the bed’s clay bottom. The taste and texture of Sel Gris are similar to both Maldon salt and Fleur de Sel.
4. Fleur De Sel
A by-product of Sel Gris, Fleur de Sel means flower of salt and is the famous salt available in fine and coarse crystals. It is hand skimmed from the surface carefully, and the bright and delicate finishing salt is used to boost the flavor of salads, steaks, soups, and desserts.
Summary
Finishing Salt is a kind of gourmet salt and usually they are added to ready-to-serve dish and not during the cooking phase.
Finishing Salt Recipe
Salts enhance the natural taste of food. Finishing salts are the best way to add a wholesome flavor to your dishes. A few sprinkles of finishing salts work magic to boost taste of any recipe. Homemade flavored finishing salts are super easy to make and boost the taste of different meals.
Flavored Finishing Salt
Flavored finishing salt is easy to make, and the sea salts are blended with unique additions of herbs and spices to enhance the texture of food. Use flavored finishing salt on grilled meat, chicken, fish, baked or fried potatoes, eggs, pasta, vegetables, and salad dressings to enhance their flavor.
Smoked Finishing Salt
Smoked finishing salt is made by exposing the coarse salt to wood for a prolonged period. Different types of woods like Oakwood, apple, alder, or sandalwood can be used to prepare smoked salt. It is made by heating the salts over wood at 300-350 F for 2 to 4 hours. The salts absorb the flavor and aroma of the burning woods, thus imparting a smoky flavor to the meal in which it is used.
How To Use Finishing Salt
Using finishing salt is super convenient, but you don’t want to go overboard. The proper amount of this magical ingredient spices up the flavor of any dish. Just sprinkle a little bit over the top of the final meal and enjoy the perfect taste.
Use finishing salts right before serving the meal to enhance the flavor of your favorite dish.
Finishing Salt For Steaks
Seasoning and preparing steaks can be done in various ways. It is a little complicated to choose the best salt that complements the dish, accentuating its flavor and adding the right ingredient to make it perfect. Pink Himalayan Salt, kosher salt, and smoked finishing salt are great options to season the steaks. The crystal-sized salt allows the steaks to soak in the flavor and absorb them to give a delicious and mouth-watering taste.
Sprinkle the finishing salt after grilling the steak, it will allow preserving the natural flavor and aroma of the meat.
Summary
Finishing Salt is an exceptional addition to all kinds of cuisines worldwide. Finishing salts are available in different varieties according to its shape, taste, and origin.